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Zereshk polo
A 9:16 storyboard, 91 seconds of edit time. Scene lengths are cuts, not the minutes the pot actually needs. Music mood: Sparse acoustic, warm room tone, no lyrics.

Scene 1 · hook · 4s
Hook
Shot. Open tight on the finished Zereshk polo, then pull back just enough to see the plate. Ivory linen, warm window light, no faces, no logos, no text burned into the picture.
Voiceover. Zereshk polo. Zereshk polo (زرشک پلو), a Iran plate from Iran. Here is the whole thing, one move at a time.
On screen. Zereshk polo

Scene 2 · title · 4s
Open on the finished dish
Shot. Slow push-in on the finished Zereshk polo, ivory linen, a gold spoon just out of focus. No faces. No logos.
Voiceover. Zereshk polo. Zereshk polo (زرشک پلو), a Iran plate from Iran.
On screen. Zereshk polo

Scene 3 · ingredients · 6s
Mise en place
Shot. Overhead flat lay. Hands set down small bowls in a quiet rhythm. Labels stay out of frame.
Voiceover. Set out dry basmati rice, chicken thigh, raisins, saffron, unsalted butter. Measure before the pan is hot.
On screen. Mise en place

Scene 4 · equipment · 5s
Equipment
Shot. A slow pan across the tools on the counter, then back to the bowl. No brand logos.
Voiceover. You need Heavy pot, Scale, Wooden spoon, Ladle.
On screen. Heavy pot · Scale · Wooden spoon

Scene 5 · step · 7s
Step 1
Shot. Zereshk polo: weighed ingredients beside the heating pan. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Heat 5 min in real time.
Voiceover. Set out a scale and the equipment for Zereshk polo. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh dry basmati rice, chicken thigh, raisins, saffron, unsalted butter, yellow onion, ground cinnamon, kosher salt. Zereshk polo is cooked in Iran as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam saffron rice and serve it with chicken and plumped raisins. Barberries are the sour jewel. Raisins, cooked with a little lemon from the pantry salt step, stand in for that fruit. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
On screen. Set out a scale and the equipment… · Heat 5 min

Scene 6 · step · 6s
Step 2
Shot. Zereshk polo: ingredients prepped and the pan at heat. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.
Voiceover. Zereshk polo is cooked in iran. Also called زرشک پلو. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
On screen. Zereshk polo is cooked in iran. Also called…

Scene 7 · step · 7s
Step 3
Shot. Zereshk polo: aromatics and the main ingredient in the pan. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Build the base in real time.
Voiceover. Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Zereshk polo, until the edges take a little color. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
On screen. Cook the aromatics first, then the… · Build the base

Scene 8 · step · 7s
Step 4
Shot. Zereshk polo: simmering or roasting until the cue. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Simmer 51 min in real time.
Voiceover. Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Zereshk polo at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 51 minutes. Zereshk polo is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
On screen. Add the remaining weighed foods and… · Simmer 51 min
- 🇮🇷 IranMiddle Easticon-iran-zereshk-polo-icon-iran-zereshk-polo-9
Step 5
step · iran
Scene 9 · step · 6s
Step 5
Shot. Zereshk polo: checking the center for doneness. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.
Voiceover. Check the center of Zereshk polo, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
On screen. Check the center of Zereshk polo, not the edge.…
- 🇮🇷 IranMiddle Easticon-iran-zereshk-polo-icon-iran-zereshk-polo-10
Step 6
step · iran
Scene 10 · step · 7s
Step 6
Shot. Zereshk polo: rested and ready to plate. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Rest 5 min in real time.
Voiceover. Rest Zereshk polo for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in iran, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Zereshk polo in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; a tight shot of the crust or surface; hands shaping a loaf or patty; a blender lid held down for the puree. Slate words for the editor: undercrust, olive, hearth, drizzle, dusk, windowlight, quartz, kettle, gloss, frost.
On screen. Rest Zereshk polo for 5 minutes,… · Rest 5 min

Scene 11 · doneness · 6s
How you know it is done
Shot. Close on the center of the food. A skewer, tap, or spoon shows the cue. Hold long enough to see it.
Voiceover. Zereshk polo is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
On screen. Doneness

Scene 12 · mistakes · 7s
If it goes wrong
Shot. Split screen is unnecessary. Show the finished, correct texture, then a hand points at the cue.
Voiceover. Zereshk polo looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes. Zereshk polo turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
On screen. Common fixes

Scene 13 · storage · 5s
Cooling and storage
Shot. The dish cools on a rack, then a container is closed. No refrigerator brand in frame.
Voiceover. Cool Zereshk polo, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
On screen. Storage

Scene 14 · nutrition · 5s
Nutrition lower third
Shot. Hold on a single serving. A quiet lower third fades in. No medical claims on screen.
Voiceover. One serving is about 505 calories, with 29.6 grams of protein. Pai marks it Moderate.
On screen. 505 kcal · 29.6 g protein · Moderate

Scene 15 · plate · 5s
Plate and close
Shot. Spoon or tongs place the last garnish. Pull back to the full plate. End on steam or a still surface.
Voiceover. Serve 4 plates. Eat while it is at its best.
On screen. Zereshk polo

Scene 16 · cta · 4s
Close
Shot. Hold the finished plate. A quiet end card can fade in after the picture. Do not cover the food with a logo.
Voiceover. Cook Zereshk polo from the Pai recipe. The amounts, the heat, and the moment to stop are written under each step.
On screen. Cook it from the recipe
Machine-readable script for a later video tool. Scene durations are edit lengths, not cooking times. Long simmers and bakes are jump cuts. Order: hook, title, mise, equipment, one scene per numbered step (shot, on-screen text, voiceover, duration), doneness, fixes, storage, nutrition, plate, and the closing CTA. Keep the shot list and on-screen facts tied to this recipe.